Author: Dalibor Paar

Education systems around the world cannot follow the extremely fast development of science and technology, which is why methods should be developed to give children an insight into STEM areas and motivate them to turn to modern professions at an early age.

In the last two years, the Croatian Physical Society has been implementing the project "Scientific education from an early age" supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education. The main purpose of the project is the introduction of modern physics topics in kindergartens and schools, with emphasis on the teaching of physics from the age of four. The results of the program are beyond expectations. The children are enthusiastic about physics and want more.

Within these activities, children are introduced not only to basic physical concepts, but also to current topics of today's science and technology. Topics include entering the atomic level, understanding how a computer works to the black hole at the center of our galaxy. All activities are based on a multitude of experiments that introduce physical concepts in an interesting way. The aim of these activities is to emphasize the importance of physical experiments and scientific model in all levels of education.

To illustrate how children perceive these topics, here are some of their statements after the program (age 5-6 years):

• I liked Schroedinger's cat the most.
• I liked drawing a lot of electrons. And count the electrons in the Radium atom.
• I didn’t know about atoms before, and now I know they made nature.
• I learned that lightning has energy.

As a contribution to these activities, our member Nikola Poljak published a series of booklets "Physics for Children 3+" entitled ABC Physics, Mechanics, Optics, Thermodynamics, and Nuclear Physics.